Succop lifts Chiefs over Saints 27-24 in OT

Kansas City kicker Ryan Succop, center, celebrates his game-winning 31-yard field goal Sunday in the Chiefs' 27-24 overtime win against New Orleans. Succop kicked six field goals, including one to force overtime.

Kansas City tailback Jamaal Charles, right, had 288 total yards of offense, including 233 on the ground. He scored the Chiefs' only touchdown on the longest run in franchise history, a 91-yard scamper.

■ Ryan Succop’s six field goals set a franchise record for most in one game.

■ Jamaal Charles’ 91-yard run was the longest run from scrimmage in franchise history.

■ Charles’ 233 yards on the ground was the second-greatest rushing game in Chiefs history to his 259 at Denver in the 2009 season finale.

■ The Chiefs overcame an 18-point second-half deficit to win, marking the largest comeback for a win in team history.

■ Drew Brees’ first-quarter touchdown pass extended Brees’ streak to at least one touchdown pass in 46 consecutive games, one shy of a hallowed NFL record set by Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas of the Baltimore Colts during 1956-60.

AVOIDING 0-3

Since 1990 when the NFL expanded its playoffs to 12 teams, only three teams have made the playoffs after starting 0-3.

The Chiefs avoided going 0-3 for the fourth time in five years with Sunday’s win, while New Orleans is still winless. Below are the three teams that rallied to make the playoffs since 1990 with their final record and playoff result

NEW ORLEANS — Ryan Succop finished all the drives the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense couldn’t in their improbable comeback against the Saints.

Succop kicked four of his club-record six field goals after the end of the third quarter and hit the game-winning 31-yarder with 6:27 left in overtime as the Chiefs rallied from a 24-6 deficit in the second half to beat winless New Orleans 27-24 on Sunday.

It is the largest lead Kansas City has overcome in franchise history.

Succop’s 43-yarder tied it with 3 seconds left in regulation after he converted from 34 and 38 yards earlier in the fourth.

“The best part is our guys never gave up,” Succop said. “We kept fighting, it was a huge team win and I’m just really excited to have had a part in it.”

Jamaal Charles’ 91-yard touchdown run — the longest running play in Chiefs history, and the longest ever given up by the Saints — started Kansas City’s comeback. Then the Chiefs’ defense thwarted a Saints scoring chance when Stanford Routt intercepted Drew Brees’ underthrown pass for Devery Henderson near the Kansas City goal line late in the third quarter.

Brees, who was 20-of-36 for 240 yards and three TDs — never had another completion after that, and only attempted six passes because the Saints also never got another first down while statistically going backward — for minus-16 yards — through the fourth quarter and overtime.

Charles, who finished with 233 yards rushing and 55 yards receiving, scored the only touchdown the Chiefs (1-2) needed. The rest of the scoring came on field goals, as well as a safety on Justin Houston’s third sack of the game.

“This team needed a win, and a win like that really helped out in particular,” Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel said. “There were a lot of doubts about what we could do and they showed a lot of character.”

The Saints (0-3) remain winless since head coach Sean Payton was suspended for the season in connection with the NFL’s bounty investigation.

“All I can say is Sean Payton is a great football coach,” Brees said. “But he’s not here, so the rest of us have to find a way.”

Instead, the Chiefs found a way after their sack of Brees for a safety got them the ball, down 24-21, with 5:33 to go.

Matt Cassel’s spinning scramble and 11-yard pass across the field to Jon Baldwin on third-and-10 extended the game-tying drive, as did Cassel’s completion to Dwayne Bowe on fourth-and-5.

In one of several lowlights for the crew of replacement officials working the game, New Orleans was briefly ruled the winner on the field in overtime when running back Shaun Draughn lost the ball stretching for a first down and safety Roman Harper picked up the ball and ran to the end zone.

The fumble was overturned on video review, but the spot came up a half-yard short of a first down. Charles easily converted a fourth-down run to extend the winning drive.

“We knew coming in that we could run against this defense,” Charles said. “It was an opportunity we had to take advantage of.”

After that, however, no team got in the end zone for the rest of the half, which ended with the Saints up 10-6.

New Orleans appeared to be taking command in the third quarter thanks to a pair of turnovers by the Chiefs.

First came a fumble by Dexter McCluster, who hurt his shoulder while falling on his own after a short catch, then let the ball go moments before he would have been touched down by cornerback Jabari Greer. Officials initially ruled McCluster down while linebacker Jonathan Casillas scooped the ball and ran to the end zone. The Saints challenged and won a reversal on replay review, giving them the ball on the Chiefs 19. That set up Brees’ 1-yard TD pass to tight end Jimmy Graham.

New Orleans then went ahead 24-6 on Brees’ 6-yard swing pass to fullback Jed Collins, capping a short drive set up by Greer’s interception and 28-yard return to the Kansas City 7.

NOTES: Along with McCluster, the Chiefs lost starting C Rodney Hudson to an apparent right knee injury and RB Peyton Hillis to an ankle injury in the third quarter. ... Saints LB David Hawthorne left with a hamstring injury in the first half and did not return. ... Brees now has TD passes in 46 straight regular season games, one behind Johnny Unitas’ record of 47.

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Our defense stepped up... Our offense was decent... We need to get INTO the endzone more.... These 3 n outs r to much.... I like how the offense was tryin to get to fg range.... Wish the offense would play more like that....

Show me a team that kicks 6 field goals against the Saints and only scores one TD, and I'll show you a team that needs a QB. If they don't draft one in the first round next year, they are in denial in regards to Matt Cassel. You build thru the draft in the NFL - maybe it's time for Peoli to go.